I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but let me put this to you.
I'm in Beijing, land of the blocked Facebook/YouTube/Google etc websites. I use Private Internet Access VPN on my laptop, and usually VPN Express on my iPhone (although I also have PIA and two others set up on it). All of them work, well, until the past week or so when they had the 5 yearly conflab here...the big one.
About 3 weeks ago, WhatsApp started playing up, but it wasn't fully blocked. And it would work on my iPhone if I used a VPN. But last week it was fully blocked. As were the VPN's on my iPhone. But not on my laptop. PIA is still working, but the same setting on my iPhone does nothing. I can't even access my account on VPN Express, let alone connect to it. It's been explained to my that maybe the so called 'Great Firewall of China' is somehow blocking Apple devices. I even tried using my laptops Wi-Fi hotspot whilst on a VPN to allow my iPhone to get on the net and access WhatsApp. But it doesn't work. Why is this? If the laptop is on VPN surely my iPhone uses the same whatever and should by-pass whatever is blocking it.
Conspiracy theory?
Well, Apple wouldn't help the FBI a few months ago in unlocking a phone. But it needs the government here to allow it to have access to the Chinese market to sell stuff. So my guess is there's been some kind of deal whereby Apple will block sites and VPN's (it took some VPN's off its Apple store at the request of the Chinese a few weeks ago) because if it doesn't it will have a hard time of it selling things here. And let's face it. Apple will only be pissing off a few thousand foreigners in China to do so. Did Apple add something to the latest iOS update that affects their devices if they are over here? I need to try my old 4S and find out !
t***s!!
I'm in Beijing, land of the blocked Facebook/YouTube/Google etc websites. I use Private Internet Access VPN on my laptop, and usually VPN Express on my iPhone (although I also have PIA and two others set up on it). All of them work, well, until the past week or so when they had the 5 yearly conflab here...the big one.
About 3 weeks ago, WhatsApp started playing up, but it wasn't fully blocked. And it would work on my iPhone if I used a VPN. But last week it was fully blocked. As were the VPN's on my iPhone. But not on my laptop. PIA is still working, but the same setting on my iPhone does nothing. I can't even access my account on VPN Express, let alone connect to it. It's been explained to my that maybe the so called 'Great Firewall of China' is somehow blocking Apple devices. I even tried using my laptops Wi-Fi hotspot whilst on a VPN to allow my iPhone to get on the net and access WhatsApp. But it doesn't work. Why is this? If the laptop is on VPN surely my iPhone uses the same whatever and should by-pass whatever is blocking it.
Conspiracy theory?
Well, Apple wouldn't help the FBI a few months ago in unlocking a phone. But it needs the government here to allow it to have access to the Chinese market to sell stuff. So my guess is there's been some kind of deal whereby Apple will block sites and VPN's (it took some VPN's off its Apple store at the request of the Chinese a few weeks ago) because if it doesn't it will have a hard time of it selling things here. And let's face it. Apple will only be pissing off a few thousand foreigners in China to do so. Did Apple add something to the latest iOS update that affects their devices if they are over here? I need to try my old 4S and find out !
t***s!!
